Environment Impact Assessment

Environment Impact Assessment

Subject: Environment

Context: The Supreme Court on Thursday noted that it was inclined to nullify the Centre’s notification which exempted the authorities from undertaking Environment Impact Assessment in case a road project is less than 100 kilometres long.

Concept:

• The observation came on hearing a petition against the felling of more than 300 trees for the construction of railway over bridges in West Bengal and the widening of a highway on the Indo-Bangladesh border.
• The bench noted that in case it was inevitable to undertake a road project, the value of every tree should be built into the project’s cost.

About EIA:

• The Environment Impact Assessment which prescribes the procedure for industries to assess the environmental impact (taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse) of their proposed projects before they are given a go-ahead by the government.
• Environment Impact Assessment in India is statutorily backed by the Environment Protection Act, 1986 which contains various provisions on EIA methodology and process.

What are the Steps involved in the EIA?

• Screening: It seeks to determine if a project needs a full EIA or partial EIA based on investment, location or type of development.
• Scoping: Identify potential impacts based on legislative, international standards to identify alternative options (or even not going ahead with project) to compensate for adverse impact on biodiversity and determines terms of reference for EIA.
• Baseline data collection: on site existing environmental status is collected.
• Impact prediction: All aspects of possible impact on environment (air, water, soil, biodiversity etc), socio-economic status of the people in region.
• Reporting the EIA report with mitigation measures, compensations for probable loss.
• Public hearing: As per the EPA, 1986 public hearing is mandatory and any one likely to be impacted by the project must be given oppurtunity to give an oral/written answer to the state Pollution Control Board.
• Environment Management Plan (EMP) and Decision making: Based on all the above factors in earlier stages an EMP has to be prepared. Then, project proponents and the impact assessment authority make decision on future course of project based on EIA report and EMP.
• Monitoring, compliance, enforcing and environmental auditing of EIA and EMP terms both during implementation and in operation phase.

What is the EIA cycle proposed in EIA notification, 2006?

• It talks of 4-stages of EIA to be followed in accordance with the norms. These are:

1. Screening
2. Scoping
3. Public hearing
4. Appraisal

• It also talks of category of projects: Category A and Category B (B1 and B2 projects). In this category A and category B1 projects need mandatory EIA and B2 category does need EIA.
• Category A projects are appraised at the national level by the Impact Assessment Agency and the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC).
• Category B projects are appraised at the state level with B1 needing EIA and B2 does not need it. State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the state level EAC are provided for clearance of the category B projects.